Do Ramshorn Snails Eat Algae?

Ramshorn snails are amazing, tiny freshwater critters. Besides that, they are pretty fun to watch. They are also incredible algae eaters and easy to care for, making them suitable for all levels of aquarium hobbyists as aquatic pets.

However, some aquarists consider them unwelcome animals due to their highly prolific behavior. There are possibilities for ramshorn snails to eat aquatic plants, provided certain conditions are met.

Think again before you decide to buy these small tropical aquarium algae eaters. If you believe ramshorn snails are pets or want to raise them for commercial purposes. There are several essential tips that you should know to grow them, all of which are nicely provided on this page.

Ramshorn Snails Overview

Ramshorn snails are freshwater aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks under the family of Planorbidae. They are also known as ram’s horn snails. In the aquarium industry, this name refers to tropical aquatic snails characterized by planispiral or flat, coiled shells. It resembles a coil of rope or the horn of the rams, as their name suggests.

They have the ability to keep a planted tank clean by consuming any debris left behind by other aquatic inhabitants.

These snails typically move from one corner to another, searching for food sources such as decomposed plant matter, algae, and debris.

In the trades, ramshorn snails come with wide, interesting varieties, so you will probably never be bored watching your tank daily. In aquarium stores, snails are commonly offered for $1 to $3 each. However, purchasing ramshorn snails in a group bundle will be cheaper.

Occasionally, they hitchhike onto aquatic plants you buy from local stores without realizing it as young snails or eggs and begin to thrive when they enter your tank.

Origin And Natural Habitat Of Ramshorn Snails

These snails originate from North America. In the wild, they are easily found living in various water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and the bottom of swamps. Ramshorn snails often appear near the water surface to breathe the air or graze on algae and vegetation there.

Appearances Of Ramshorn Snails

These mollusk families comprise several species that differ in their shell and skin colors. In general, their skin color is red or black. The black ramshorn snails have melanin pigment in their skin, while the red ones do not. So, why do the red ram’s horn snails have a more vibrant color? It’s because their hemoglobin is red, which is different from that of other aquatic snail species.

As mentioned above, their shells are described as the horns of rams or a spiral rope. Their shells can vary in color; the very common hues of ramshorn snails are usually slightly dull in color, ranging from dark to light brown, and some may be combined with black or dark gray splotches. Nonetheless, if you go to shops or browse the internet, you might find these snails’ colors more lively. Some species have blue, pink, and spotted shells, making them more attractive when grazing in planted tanks.

Their shells will continue to grow as they increase in size. In the juvenile phase, it is thin and translucent, but as time passes, it can become more robust and darker. The spiral form also becomes larger as the snail grows.

Unlike most freshwater and marine aquarium snails, they do not have an operculum (a trapdoor at the bottom of the shell). This part functioned as a hard coat that prevented predators from reaching the soft bodies of the mollusk members.

The existence of trapdoors is ineffective for ramshorn snails because they are an air-breathing species that requires constant respiration to survive. While the trapdoor generally aims to block the air out during the dry period. It won’t be easy for them to take the oxygen in the air if these snails have an operculum.

How big do ramshorn snails get?

These snails are smaller than other famous tropical planted tank snails such as nerite zebra or Malaysian snail. The full-grown ramshorn is usually between 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) in diameter. Commonly, most aquarium shops offered them not bigger than an inch. However, if you give them the best quality of care, their size would be more than one inch.

How long do ramshorn snails live?

Normally, the average lifespan expectancy of ramshorn snails is about one year, both in captivity and in their natural habitat. However, under the optimal condition, with adequate feeding, they can live up to 3 years or even slightly longer.

Unfortunately, sometimes these snails can be deadly shortly after being introduced into a new tank. There are several reasons that caused them to die not too long in the new aquarium environments. Due to moving into the new fish tank, the stress factor is probably a dominant factor responsible for causing their premature death.

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Ramshorn Snails’ Behaviour And Temperaments

Like other freshwater aquarium algae-eater snail species, they are very calm and peaceful. They are not territorial and aggressive toward other congeners or different species. Actually, they are quite active, slowly roaming through the tank day and night, looking for algae. You may see them climb the wall of glass or hang under the leaf plants.

You might notice ramshorn snails eat together in a particular spot. So, when an individual finds a food resource, it is only a matter of time before the others emerge from their shelter to share a snack.

They can not run away quickly from predators in the wild or even in aquarium ecosystems, but these snails have a simple and unique way to outwit them. Ramshorn snails can do an uncommon swimming method on the surfaces of water, where their shells are upside down. To maintain a balanced body, they allow water to enter their shells.

When they are in a balanced condition, they can utilize surface tension or even bacterial slime to swim at the water’s surface.

Well, if their movement is disrupted abruptly and they feel threatened while swimming on the surface. Ramshorn snails will immediately release the air in their shells and start falling to the base. That is a little trick for them to escape from the predators.

Are Ramshorn Snails Good or Bad For Aquariums?

These tiny mollusk species are an excellent clean-up crew, not only algae, but also accept decomposed plant matter and aquarium waste. They are very peaceful and suitable for most aquascaping fish. Of course, ramshorn snails are also very easy to look after and do not need many requirements to keep them healthy.

However, some aquarists may dislike these aquatic snails due to their prolific breeding behavior. Under optimal conditions, they can reproduce faster and overpopulate your tank in a few weeks. The ramshorn snail infestation is disturbing for some people because it makes their tank’s view unsightly.

Are ramshorn snails pests?

In our experience, it depends on the condition and situation. When your tank is performing well, no algae clumps exist. While these snails continue generating their population, they can become a pest, significantly affecting ecosystem stability. Nonetheless, if an algae outbreak invades your planted aquarium, they can be a powerful weapon against it. They will also serve as an additional snack when you keep some pufferfish.

Types Of Common Ramshorn Snails

There are several varieties of ramshorn snails that are commonly found in the trade, which differ in size, shape, color, and pattern.

Planorbella Duryi

These species are also called Seminole rams-horn, brown ramshorn snails, and brown posthorn snails. They are native to Florida and have become an endemic species there.

Although the wild types are usually brown in captivity, they breed in various colors, making them look more impressive. You can see they come in brighter colors, such as pink, orange, green, red, and blue. Some may have a combination pattern, such as blue leopard or brown leopard.

In nature, Planorbella duryi inhabits freshwater environments, including ponds and streams. They grow to around 2.5 cm, and their shells have a relatively smooth texture. Their shell shape is sinistral and deeply biconcave, the whorls strongly keeled at the whorl shoulder with a flat spire in young snails. However, this will be more rounded, and the spires will become concave in adult ones. While the umbilicus is deep, it appears to be funnel-shaped. They are also equipped with thin, tentacle-like appendages.

Planorbarius Corneus

They are relatively large ramshorn snail species with thick-walled shells. These large planorbids originate from Europe; their distribution areas include Western Europe, Central Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, and the Middle East. The great ram’s horn snail is their common name in the trades.

Planorbarius corneus is commonly found inhabiting a sluggish water movement or still water where pond weeds, vegetation, or algae grow well and contain high amounts of Calcium in depths up to 3 meters. They can also be found in water bodies, which often dry out periodically.

Their shells have large sinistral shapes and biconcave, the whorls are rounded, and the spire is concave. A fully grown P. Corneus usually has a shell measuring about 1.4 inches or 35 millimeters.

Their coiled shells are typically around 10 – 17 by 22 – 40 mm or 0.39 – 0.67 by 0.87 – 1.57 inches; this typically contains 3 – 4.5 rounded whorls with deep sutures, while the last whorl is more dominant.

The upper side of the shell is slightly depressed, while the downside is extremely depressed (flattened at the lower side, and the spire is recessed at the top side). Their shells do not have a keel. Typically, their shells’ color is light yellowish, combined with a reddish, brown, or even greenish periostracum, and the striations are feebly spirally and radially arranged. The actual bodies of great ramshorn snails are generally reddish or brown with thin tentacles.

Helisoma Trivolvis

Planorbella trivolis is their synonym name; they are also called marsh rams-horn snails due to their shell shape. These air-breathing snail species are native to North America, ranging from northern Arctic Canada and Alaska to Florida. In the wild, marsh ramshorn snails are usually discovered at the bottom of lakes, ponds, rivers, and swamps.

Like other ramshorn snail species, they have sinistral shell shapes with a flat coil. Its color usually ranges from dark to light brown, and true bodies have a similar tint to that. Some noticeable body parts include a couple of tentacles, a head, and a foot.

According to a study, the marsh ramshorn snails are known as intermediate hosts for harmful larval parasitic trematodes, such as Echinostoma trivolvis and Ribeiroia ondatrae. Still and all, they still play a crucial role as a crew that cleans algae and decaying materials.

Anisus Vorticulus

Another species of the planorbidae family is Ansisus vorticulus, also known as the little whirlpool ramshorn snail and lesser ram’s horn snail. These varieties are smaller, with a diameter range of about 4-5 millimeters (sometimes reaching 8 mm but rarely) and a height is about 0.5-0.8 millimeters. They have a brown shell color with a slightly sunken upper side. Each whorl is obviously divided by a suture. The terminal whorls relatively have blunt rims in the center of the periphery of the whorl. The aperture is elliptical and commonly slanted.

The lesser ramshorn snails also have red blood and hemoglobin, but this is unnoticeable due to their grey-black body skin color.

Whirlpool ram’s horn snails are native to Europe, distributed discontinuously starting from England to Western Siberia.

Unfortunately, their population in the wild is quite rare due to specific environmental conditions that they require to survive. This is caused by eutrophication phenomena, where the water is oversupplied with nutrients but lacks oxygen. Additionally, the backwater arms and alluvial water systems are constantly being altered by human activities.

They prefer to live in oxbow lakes, ditches, and pools with standing water, which contain rich aquatic floras such as pennywort and duckweed. The Ansisus vorticulus is compatible with water bodies that have clear water, high pH levels, and lower nutrient contents.

Planorbis Carinatus

These pulmonate gastropod mollusk species are also called keeled ram’s horn snails. They are different from their congeners. Planorbis carinatus has sharply rimmed outer whorls, called a keel, that might be less obviously set off against the rest of its shell walls.

The position of the keel of Planorbis carinatus is in the center of their whorl, while the mouth of the shell is slantwise, and at the upper part is prominent and rounded. Generally, keeled ram’s-horn snails are 2 – 3 millimeters in height with a diameter of about 14 – 17 mm and have about 4,5 – 5,25 whorls.

In the wild habitat, these aquatic snails usually occupy still and sluggish water movement in altitudes of up to 1000 meters MSL with high oxygen levels. They rarely occur in water bodies that periodically dry out. The keeled ramshorn snails primarily inhabit the remains of the glacial water system. For your information, there are dwarf forms of keeled ramshorn snails, which are usually found in the pools in littoral areas of the true water bodies.

The distribution of Planorbis carinatus is widespread throughout all areas in Europe, except the southern Mediterranean peninsulas, extending from the Peloponnese, Central Italy, to the Scandinavian regions of Finland and Sweden.

Marisa Cornuarietis

In trades, these freshwater aquarium snails are labeled as “Giant Ramshorn Snails” or “Colombian Ramshorn Snails.” However, they are not real ramshorn snail species at all, although they have a planispiral shell shape. Actually, Marisa cornuarietis belongs to the apple snail family (ampullariidae, sometimes called pilidae).

You can easily identify and distinguish them from the planorbids family by their two pair of tentacles (real ramshorn only have a single pair of tentacles), they are not hermaphrodites, have a breathing siphon on the left side, and are equipped with an operculum (trapdoor).

Their shell color is yellowish and combined with brown lines across the shell; sometimes, they may come in a solid yellow tint without any stripes. Some also probably consist of two colors: one side is dark, and the other is light.

The adult Colombian ramshorn snails grow up to 2.2 inches (5.5 centimeters) long, with a diameter reaching about 1.4–2 inches (3.5–5 cm), and have 3–4 whorls with 3–6 spiral brown stripes.

Tank Setup For Ramshorn Snails

Due to their smaller size, there are no minimum tank sizes required for them; however, we suggest providing at least 5 gallons to ensure their comfort. The larger aquarium would raise the possibility of algae growth, which is important for these snails.

They could be adaptable to various substrate types. Well, you can choose whatever you want. Nonetheless, the sandy form and soft gravels are more advisable; this is safer for them rather than the rough ones.

Remember, they are stagnant and slowly flowing water inhabitants in the wild; you should install a correct water system filtration that does not create faster water movement in the planted tank. You can buy a hang-on, canister, or internal filter machine.

Ramshorn snails do not require a specific light intensity to thrive. Instead, it should be adjusted with live aquatic plants, which are necessary if you plan to add some.

Keeping a few aquarium plants is critical; most aquarium algae prefer to appear on them, especially on old or dying leaves. The ramshorn snails are very love munching on algae and decomposed plant matter. Moreover, they can absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen in the water, which is very beneficial for most aquarium creatures.

Planting thicker-leaf plants, such as anubias gracilis, is more recommended than softer ones like java moss or vesicularia; in some cases, they are often found to bite when the food sources in the fish tank are scarce. Adding several floating plants, such as salvinia natans and Azolla cristata, also offers benefits. This can become new places for them to look for food, play, and hide from possible dangerous inhabitants.

Apply a tight-fitting tank lid to prevent the ramshorn snails from escaping the aquarium. Remember, they are an excellent climber and have the ability to survive outside of the water. Installing a heater is not essential for them.

These little aquarium snails, known as resilient algae eaters, can live in crystal-clear or murky water habitats. However, they do not prefer an environmental condition that can change swiftly. To make them grow healthy, below are a few of the water parameters to stick to:

• pH Levels: 7.0 – 8.0
• Water Temperatures: 70 – 78 degrees Fahrenheit (21 – 26 degrees Celsius)
• Water Hardness Level: 5 – 15 dKH
• Water Types: Hard or freshwater
• Water Supplements: Calcium (if the water hardness level is lower)

How To Care For Ramshorn Snails

Water quality is vital for keeping these snails; this can result in two different outcomes. First, it can directly affect their health level. Second is its impact on the development and hardness rates of their shell. Therefore, maintaining the water in optimal condition is crucial in caring for them.

They are quite sensitive to sudden changes in water temperature. Your aquascape tanks should be maintained at a constant temperature level, and ensure they are kept away from direct sunlight. Install an aquarium thermometer to help monitor the warm levels.

Regular water changes are necessary to maintain the water quality, especially if you do not apply a filtration system in your snail’s aquarium. Weekly changes water about 25% into your tank; we recommend using RO water rather than tap water. It is because tap water commonly contains copper substances that are harmful to ramshorn snails and can even be fatal to them.

Reverse osmosis water is quite expensive, but it’s even less if your tank is larger; of course, you should purchase more. So, we suggested buying a RO water converter for aquarium use. This is simple; it can turn your tap water into RO water, and you can produce it with minimal effort and expense.

Take your test kit, check the water parameters frequently, and if there is an imbalance, adjust it again. Ensure the ammonia and nitrite are always at 0 ppm.

Keep your tank always clean, and suck up the organic and non-organic waste at the bottom of the tank. Scrub off the glass, decorations, and equipment, but leave it slightly dirty to stimulate the algae to grow.

Ramshorn Snails Diet And Feeding

Interestingly, they can live in the planted tanks without additional diet resources from the aquarium owners. With sufficient food stocks of algae, decaying small fish, and dead plants, these snails do not need an extra meal.

Although infrequent feeding is common among aquarists, if the algae populations in the fish tank are low or the number of ramshorn snails is too high, hobbyists can supplement their diet with raw vegetables like carrots, spinach, green lettuce, zucchini, and commercial foods such as calcium sinking pellets. Remember that overfeeding can promote them to multiply quickly; therefore, avoid this bad practice.

Do ramshorn snails eat green spot algae?

As we know, they love to feed on green algae types, but that is not entirely correct. These mollusks do not like green spot algae due to its texture being tougher for them to eat. Ramshorn snails prefer to graze on soft green hair algae. There are several types of filamentous green algae, including Rhizoclonium, Cladophora, Oedogonium, and Spirogyra.

Do ramshorn snails eat brown algae?

Yes, they seem to consume soft brown algae that usually stick to stable surfaces, including wall glass, equipment, decorations, and even live aquatic plants.

Do ramshorn snails eat staghorn, black beard, and red spot algae?

These are stubborn and have a hard texture; ramshorn snails seem like tend to avoid them since there are other gentle food varieties that they easily bite. Most algae clean-up crews also often skip them when they arise and leave them to grow until they become a plague.

However, there is a report that ramshorn snails will eat the black beard algae when they are hungry and have nothing else left in their tank.

Do ramshorn snails eat plants?

Actually, they do not eat healthy live freshwater plants if the available food stocks are still enough. In normal conditions, Ramshorn snails only eat the dead and dying plants. In some cases, they can munch on young plants, most moss plants, and even thicker-stemmed plants like anubias species; once again, this happens if there is no food left, and it is a rare occurrence.

Ramshorn Snails Tankmates

Due to their small size and slow movement, ramshorn snails are vulnerable and often become victims of other aggressive, larger, and predatory fish, such as cichlid species, loaches, Oscars, pea puffers, Amazon puffers, crayfish, tangerine lobsters, and others. You should put them with other calm and peaceful aquarium species, such as:

• Mollies
• Guppies
• Platies
• Neocaridina shrimps
• Barbs
• Rasbora
• Tetra species
• Zebra nerite and other algae-eater snails species
• Bamboo and Amano shrimp
• Corydoras
• Sparkling gourami
• Pearl gourami
• Rainbow fish
• Otocinclus

Do bettas eat ramshorn snails?

Remember, betta fish are an aggressive, omnivorous, and territorial species; however, it still depends on the condition and situation. Sometimes, they are interested in the long antennae of adult ramshorn snails and will nip at them.

Some happily eat their babies and eggs because their size is very suitable for a betta’s mouth. This can control the snail population in your tropical tanks. Some will also abandon these mollusks without any disturbance.

Do goldfish eat ramshorn snails?

We think it’s a bad idea to put ramshorn snails with goldfish. Remembering this fish is not clever when choosing food. This fish usually tries to ingest everything that comes into his tank, as long as it fits in his mouth; of course, ramshorn is one of them.

The young snails may easily be swallowed by them due to their soft texture and tiny size, but the bigger ones can be dangerous to your fish, causing them to choke.

Will assassin snails eat ramshorn snails?

Definitely, yes; in our experience, ramshorn snails are one of their favorite prey due to the absence of a trapdoor and slow movement, which requires less effort to hunt them. Adding one assassin snail is enough to control ramshorn populations in a 5 to 10-gallon tank. If the population of this tiny aquascape snail is stable, separate the clea helena to another tank because they will be continuously chased until no one is left.

Ramshorn Snails Breeding

Can ramshorn snails reproduce asexually? Yes, they are hermaphroditic, which means each specimen has female and male sex organs, so you can put a pair of these snails without finding out their genders first, and they will spawn by themselves.

How often do ramshorn snails lay eggs? Since you provide sufficient food and keep the water conditions as they want, they will mate and continuously lay numerous egg clusters. The eggs usually attach to all objects in the aquarium, including wall glass, decorations, equipment, and leaves, or are hidden among the clump of moss other plants.

What do ramshorn snails’ eggs look like? These snails release their eggs in a globule/cluster, which is clear, brownish, and translucent, allowing you to see the fetus inside, which is white in color. Each cluster generally contains 10 – 12 eggs, and the newborn snails have a clearish white color. These egg clutches would hatch in about 2 – 4 weeks, while the new ramshorn snails will reach the reproductive phase about four weeks after they hatch.

Do not worry about juvenile snails; they can care for themselves and find their food as long as your tank produces algae, debris, and leftover fish food.

Ramshorn Snails Common Problems

These tropical aquatic snails are not prone to a specific disease and can survive some illnesses that their tankmates carry. Instead, these tiny hardy mollusks are known for bringing very tiny parasitic flukes that are able to be transmissible to fish or even humans. So, quarantining them first for a month is a good way to prevent something worse.

High copper levels in the water pose a risk to ramshorn snails and other invertebrates, which can be toxic and potentially fatal to them. Ensure that the cure or food types you add to the tank are free from copper substances. While copper sulfate would be effective in controlling the growth of these snails, it would not be effective in getting rid of them.